


I'm On My Way

by MusingsOnBuckyBarnes



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Bucky Barnes, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Singing, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 16:00:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8539297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusingsOnBuckyBarnes/pseuds/MusingsOnBuckyBarnes
Summary: In which Bucky sings at Tony and Pepper’s wedding.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set after 'The Winter Soldier'. ('Civil War' doesn’t happen in this AU.)
> 
> I was going to call this 'The Wedding Singer' but that title has already been used a few times. Same with 'On My Way'.
> 
> I’m working on some longer and angstier fics, so I thought I’d do something shorter, a bit of happy fluff for my boys. It was also an excuse to get Bucky to sing.

 

Steve came out of the main bathroom of his and Bucky’s suite at Avengers Towers, and found Bucky at the wall of windows in the living room.

“This time last year…” Bucky said, and Steve wasn’t sure if he was looking at the expanse of New York in front of them, or at his own reflection in the window.

Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky from behind – something that he couldn’t have done back then but now it didn’t even cause a flinch – and said, “You’ve come so far. I’m so proud of you.”

Bucky turned in his embrace and gave a smile that started off blinding then turned sizzling as he slipped one arm around Steve’s back and the other hand flirted with Steve’s waistband. “This time _this_ year…”

They kissed and Bucky’s hand went south of the equator and quickly clothes were shed and they didn’t manage to make it to the bedroom before they rocked each other’s world yet again.

Things were going well. Things were going very, very well. So much better than Steve had dared to dream. Bucky had returned to him a year and a half ago, several months after pulling him out of the Potomac.

Slowly Bucky had regained himself, and began to sing in the shower, resumed whistling, and hummed against Steve’s skin.

Bucky was attending regular appointments for his mental health, mostly in the Tower but sometimes farther afield, and sometimes for other things, regaining his hobbies and making new ones, and he was nearly ready to become an Avenger.

The more relaxed Bucky became, the more he and Steve goofed around, doing things like enjoying songs on the stereo and singing along with them. This was only in the privacy of their own suite, and not with any guests.

Their repertoire included (but was not limited to):  
Jefferson Starship’s _We Built This City_  
_I’ve Had the Time of My Life_ (they took turns with who got to do the Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes parts)  
_Beautiful Noise_ from fellow Brooklyn boy, Neil Diamond  
_Can’t Stop this Thing We Started_ by Bryan Adams  
_Still Grooving After All of These Years_ by the Beach Boys

They loved rock and roll, and Bucky enjoyed disco. They also enjoyed singing and listening to the songs from their youth. Sam and JARVIS were their main sources of suggestions for post-World War 2 music. It was very useful to ask JARVIS to play them samples from over the decades, and then they could say, “I like that one – more like that, please.”

Making up for so many decades of culture in a relatively short time was quite an experience, so for now Steve and Bucky mainly focused on things like the news and music. Music was an amazing thing. It had the ability to lift up their spirits or provide empathy, then and now, to capture time and feelings.

They quite liked ABBA, much to Tony’s vocal despair. They decided that he was a secret fan and one day they would ask JARVIS to confirm that for them.

Bucky and Steve had fun with singing _I’m on My Way_ by the Proclaimers, trading off the ‘Uh-huh’s.

They went for a lot of walks, caught up on a lot of reading and watching, and Bucky resumed being Steve’s favorite subject and muse when Steve took up his art again. When bad days came, they were there for each other and they also had a network of friends to help.

The major upcoming event on their calendar was Pepper and Tony’s wedding.

One day while sitting in the downstairs café, Steve and Bucky watched the procession of people streaming into the Tower to consult with Pepper and Tony (mostly with Pepper, but _some_ groomal input was needed (or given even if unsolicited)). The influx didn’t seem to cease.

“I don’t think we’ll ever attend a more elaborate wedding,” Steve remarked to Bucky when they returned to their apartment.

Bucky smiled and said, “Yeah, ours will be a much simpler, quiet affair.”

Steve nodded, then realized what he had said. He gaped.

“What?” Bucky asked. “You want a big wedding?”

Steve spluttered. “We haven’t… We didn’t discuss… Did you just _propose_?”

“Yeah.” Bucky looked calm and a bit amused. “Any objection?”

“No. None at all.”

“Good. Then breathe! You look like you’re having a conniption. That could give a guy a complex.”

“No.  I’m just happy. Very, very happy.”

“How happy?”

“I’ll show you.” Steve dropped down to his knees in front of Bucky and reached over to start undoing his fiancé’s jeans. “Though technically _you_ should have got down on your knees.”

“Details. Mere details…” A loud gasp. “Oh yeah… Just like that! So good. Besides…didn’t really…have to propose at all… Forgone – oh YES! – conclusion that… ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh… we’re gonna get married.”

Then Steve stepped it up a notch and Bucky lost the ability to hold a coherent conversation.

xXx

They decided to keep their new relationship status from the others for now. They didn’t want to steal any thunder from the upcoming wedding of the year.

A few days into their secret engagement, Steve said, “Do you want to go for a walk?”

Bucky shook his head. “Later. I’ve got an appointment at 10:30. JARVIS has arranged for a car to pick me up.” At Steve’s puzzled look, Bucky said, “Today isn’t therapy. This is something I forgot to put on the calendar. I’m organizing it for the wedding – a surprise. Sort of my present. Don’t mention it to anyone.”

“I can’t mention it if I don’t know what it is.”

Steve did try to find out, asking joking questions, but Bucky didn’t drop any hints. A few times a week, he would be informed by JARVIS that the driver was ready for him, but JARVIS wouldn’t specify for what, or he would refer to The Project, and off Bucky would go. Whatever he was plotting or preparing, he seemed to be enjoying it, coming home cheerful instead of withdrawn or upset like after some of his counseling sessions.

Steve used the times that Bucky was away to concentrate on his own presents to Pepper and Tony –paintings. One was a large landscape of a beach which was the couple’s favorite holiday spot. The other was a portrait of Pepper and Tony in an Impressionist style. He was having fun with the technique in the portrait.

xXx

The wedding day drew nearer and nearer. There wasn’t as much stress as Steve had expected, because Pepper was such a thorough organizer, had very clear ideas about what she wanted, and there was plenty of money on hand to overcome obstacles.

It was fun to hear Tony tease the wedding planners by saying things like: “Can we get butterflies to hover around us at the ceremony? And can they be trained to flutter anti-clockwise? If not, I’ll design robot ones.”

Steve ended up giving them the paintings a few days early. Pepper was thrilled. “They’re so beautiful and vibrant. Your use of color is amazing, and I feel like I could step into the beach scene!”

Tony was impressed. “Not bad at all, Cap. I usually get bored with artwork quickly and move them around between the floors or mansions, but I could stand to look at these at home without getting sick of them.”

Pepper grinned. “Especially because you’re in one of them.”

“That definitely adds to it.”

xXx

Steve had been in the ice when Howard married, so he was glad to be able to attend Tony’s wedding. He and Bucky did up each other’s tie, complimented each other on how well they suited their suits, then restrained themselves from leaping on each other and undoing all that effort, and set off to enjoy the day.

The ceremony went very well. Pepper was radiant in a gown that shimmered and sparkled without somehow being overdone. There were no major hitches. Tony kept his wisecracks to a minimum – even he seemed overwhelmed and (mostly) speechless when Pepper joined him to exchange their vows.

Though he did get out, “Oh, good. You _did_ show up. What a relief. Rhodey, you owe me twenty.”

His best man and his wife-to-be and most of the congregation performed a mass simultaneous eye-roll.

xXx

“That was great,” Steve said to Bucky. “And if the wedding was this elaborate, what’s the reception going to be like?”

Especially with some of the entertainment suggestions that Tony and co had been tossing around and the celebrities who had scrambled to attend as guests and/or performers. The food was complicated and sublime – the entrees were consumed while Derek Jacobi delivered a Shakespeare soliloquy, and the New York Symphony Orchestra played during dinner. Then a band set up on the stage.

The Master of Ceremonies was apparently some Big Name, but Steve had never heard of him. He did have an appropriate deep voice for the job, and Steve liked how he didn’t try to be funny or idiotic, but simply and professionally made his announcements.

The MC said, “We will have a guest singer before we begin the dancing. Firstly, this song is a present from Tony to Pepper. Her favorite romance song, _Love Changes Everything_.”

Steve saw Pepper react with delighted anticipation. She kissed Tony then turned to the stage. Steve was also looking forward to it, knowing and enjoying that song. He had heard several singers perform it, like Michael Ball, Michael Crawford and John Barrowman.

The MC boomed, “Here to sing it is your very own JBB!”

Steve’s jaw dropped. Surely he had misheard.

But no, Bucky was pushing his chair back and standing up, smiling.

Bucky reached out and closed Steve’s gaping mouth, then leaned down quickly to seal it with a kiss. He hurried to the stage, accompanied by a chorus of wolf-whistles (the loudest being of course from the other Avengers but Pepper and Maria could do impressive ones when moved). He took the microphone off its stand.

_Oh wow. Wow._

The major things Steve knew about this song were that it was from a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and that on the very end line, the singer was meant to hit a high note and hold it for longer than a lot of singers could usually manage. Both of the Michaels and John B, all seasoned professionals, had managed to hold the note for over ten seconds.

Bucky was a good singer but not at that level. Was _that_ what he had been doing? Taking singing lessons?

Bucky smiled at the bride and groom. “Tony and Pepper, I wish you all happiness for your wedded life. I’m honored to sing this song for you, which is very appropriate, and like you, I know more about the meaning of this song now than I ever have before.”

Then he nodded to the band, who started to play. When Bucky sang, Steve reveled in the confidence and pleasure of it. And the lyrics certainly were appropriate.

 _Love, love changes everything_  
_Hands and faces, earth and sky_  
_Love, love changes everything_  
_How you live and how you die_  
_Love, can make the summer fly_  
_Or a night seem like a lifetime_  
_Yes love, love changes everything_  
_Now I tremble at your name_  
_Nothing in the world will ever be the same_

Bucky at first sang the words directly to Tony and Pepper. But there were times when he would look at Steve instead.

Then it was time for the final line, which was ‘Love will never never let you be the same.’ The high note was to be a drawn-out emphasis on the ‘a’ sound in ‘same’. Steve inwardly tensed then mentally told himself off. _Bucky can do it. It’s not like this is a battle._

Bucky closed his eyes and kept them closed as he hit the high note. He held it beautifully, without strain or without going into annoying or distracting vocal gymnastics in the middle of it.

Then he finished, flushed with success and grinning. There was a moment of stunned, appreciative silence, then the audience cheered wildly. Pepper was ecstatic and teary. Bucky bowed.

When the noise had died down, he said, “Thank you. I have one more song for you.”

“Better not be ABBA, Barnes!” Tony bellowed.

“Of course not. That’s for my private serenading of you in your honeymoon suite,” Bucky fired back.

While everyone shrieked with laughter, Steve tried to guess what the song would be. _‘New York, New York’_ perhaps?

“It’s a duet,” Bucky said. He put the microphone back on the stand. “Come up here, Steve.”

 _What?_ His jaw dropped again.

Beside Steve, Sam cackled. “That poor thing really needs a little parachute!”

“But…” Steve was as floored by that as he had been by Bucky’s out-of-the-blue proposal.

Bucky grinned. “Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, this is news to Steve. Come on, Steve. I promise that you’ll know the song.”

Sam said, “Get up there, Cap. It’s not like it’s the USO tour. You don’t have to wear tights or the uniform.”

Steve stumbled up onto the stage, protesting: “We haven’t _rehearsed_ or anything… Just stuff that we sing at home!”

Tony said, “Oh, I really want to hear this. And JARVIS, you’d better have recordings of their home sessions. The _songs_ , that is!” he hastily clarified.

Bucky maneuvered Steve to the left-hand side of the mike, in profile to the audience, facing Bucky, who mirrored his position on the right-hand side of the mike. Bucky had obviously planned this, as the band knew which song to play. Steve heard the opening and immediately recognized it. He burst out laughing.

“I’ll start first,” Bucky said to him, then sang in a broad Scottish accent (because that was the way they were used to hearing it and it sounded right), “I’m on my way from misery to happiness today. Uh-huh.”

Steve nearly missed doing his own ‘Uh-huh.’ He had to bend down a little to the microphone. He quickly got into the hang of it and started to relax and enjoy himself. It helped that he was focused on Bucky, instead of looking out at their audience.

And it _was_ fun, trading off the ‘Uh-huh’ lyrics.

Steve certainly felt it was true when they sang:  
_And now that I don't want for anything_  
_I'd have Al Jolson sing, "I'm sitting on top of the world"_

Even though Steve kept his focus on Bucky and on the song, he could feel the audience there, reacting to and enjoying their performance.

When they finished, it was to great applause and cheering.

“Sing _‘500 Miles’_!” yelled Sam.

And suddenly they were getting a heap of requests.

The MC said, “We might be able to get them back later, but now it’s time for Beyoncé to sing the bridal dance.”

“Can we keep singing soon?” Steve asked, flushed with success and happiness.

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Trying to get out of the dancing, are you?”

xXx

During the reception, Steve and Bucky went up to Pepper and congratulated her. She thanked them for their gifts, enthusing over Bucky’s singing and how Steve did a great job with the song despite being taken by surprise. She reiterated her love of the paintings. “You two really are showing your hidden talents.”

Steve blushed said, “So, now that all the wedding preparations are over, you can get that time back, and also relax and enjoy your honeymoon.”

Pepper laughed. “I had so much fun organizing it. Call me weird, but I’ll miss doing that.”

Bucky said, “Well, you can help us with ours if you like.”

Pepper stared at him. “What?”

“It won’t be this elaborate, but it’ll still need some planning and input.”

“You’re engaged?” She looked like she wanted to yell in delight but restrained herself. “Who else knows?”

Steve smiled at Bucky. “No one. We can announce it soon. We didn’t want to take anything away from your day.”

“It’s wonderful news! That doesn’t take anything away – it adds to it!” She hugged them, then picked up her bouquet and held it out to them. “No need for me to toss this now!”

“You have to toss it,” Bucky said. “Clint’s been practicing an amazing leaping somersaulting snatch for weeks.”

Tony and Sam had been standing nearby and had overheard. They came over, with Sam delivering handshakes and back slaps. “I should have known,” he said. “You two were looking even more gooey-eyed at each other than usual.”

Tony had a gleam in his eyes. He kissed Pepper then turned to them. “Congratulations! And I get to pick your wedding playlist!”

“Steady on, Mr Potts,” Steve said.

“I like the sound of that. Well, the second half. Barnes, looks like I did make the right choice in choosing you to sing that song. Thank you.”

Bucky gave that smile that lit up his face. Steve squeezed his hand and asked Tony, “How did you end up picking Bucky for it?”

“Easy. I was talking to him about the potential singers I could get to perform it, and he suggested that he do it instead.”

xXx

The next big event on their calendar became their own engagement party.

Steve and Bucky managed to convince Pepper that they didn’t want it to be a large celebration, and that they didn’t want to have a heap of celebrity singers.

Sam said, “You two can do all the singing for it. Give us more duets.”

Steve turned to Bucky. “Well, we could do _I’ve Had the Time of My Life_.”

“Whose turn would it be to be Bill or Jennifer?” Bucky asked.

Laughing, Sam sagely suggested, “Dudes, flip a coin on the night!”

xXx

Tony put himself in charge of DJ-ing their engagement party, which was great fun.  

He announced to the gathered guests, “Okay, it’s time for our geriatric lovebirds to get out on the dance floor and start things off by showing us how things were done in the forties. Let’s put on some music suitable for them.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Do you think it’ll be actually something from back then, or something like _Ice Ice Baby_?”

“With Tony, you never know,” Steve replied.

As soon as they heard the opening music, they laughed.

_My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender._

Bucky looked at Steve, who then mimed perfectly to the “ _Oh yeah_.”

They stepped out onto the floor and started dancing together.

_Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to_  
_Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you_

 

xXx

 

The End

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Faye for beta reading.
> 
> I do have another ‘Bucky sings’ fic on the go. A separate AU – in fact, it is the first fic idea that came to my mind after I fell in love with him as a character. That fic is an unpublished WIP at the moment but I will get it done soon.


End file.
